We will study synucleinopathy-affected circuit mechanisms underlying interactions of motor and non-motor domains. We established a viral model for cell-type specific synucleinopathy that causes neurodegeneration within dopaminergic neurons of the substantia nigra and motor deficits.

We developed a new behavioral paradigm, to study the effects of synucleinopathy on anxiety-induced gait disruption, brainstem neural activity and cardiac dynamics in mice. In the next funding period, we will investigate integrated neural, motor and autonomic states during circuit-specific synucleinopathy and their retuning by optogenetics for a targeted modulation of PD-like pathostates.